Australian Electoral Commissioner directs recount of WA Senate seats

The Australian Electoral Commissioner has directed a recount of nearly all of the Senate ballot papers in Western Australia.

Commissioner Ed Killesteyn has decided that all papers where electors voted above the line will be recounted.

This involves more than 96 per cent of the Senate ballot papers, or approximately 1.25 million of the 1.3 million formal votes.

The decision was made after appeals from Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and Sports Party candidate Wayne Dropulich.

Senator Ludlam had asked for a partial recount after preference flows between two small parties worked against the Greens.

Mr Dropulich had asked for a full recount.

In a statement, Mr Killesteyn says he has directed the Australian Electoral Officer for Western Australia to conduct the recount in WA's 15 Senate electoral divisions.

"I have concluded that the recount will be in the best interest of all candidates who contested the 2013 WA Senate election, and in the overall inertest of the WA electorate's confidence in the outcome," he said.

The results of the recounted votes will be re-entered into the AEC computerised Senate system and merged with the existing below-the-line votes.

The recount is expected to commence mid next week and is likely to be finalised in a matter of weeks.